How to be SMART when learning a language.

Many language learners give up or become discouraged when the magnitude of learning a language hits them. Our goals for the year are often things like "Learn English"...thats great, but how to do you now when you've achieved this goal? When is the reward of feeling like you have met your goal?

In addition, vague goals such as 'learn English' lead to a lack of satisfaction and a lack of confidence. You may be reluctant to try out what you have learned in the 'real world' because you haven't learned all of English.

S.M.A.R.T. goals on the other hand are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Be SPECIFIC. This could be telling yourself you want to learn enough English to order your food at a restaurant.

Make it MEASURABLE. This holds you accountable. Your measurement could be the act of you going to the restaurant and ordering your food in English. If the interaction is a success, if your server does not ask for clarification or get confused, if you get the food and drinks you wanted, you have been successful.

Make it ATTAINABLE. 'Learn 1000 words' is not an attainable target for a week. Learning the 30 words that might be most useful in a restaurant is attainable.

Make it RELEVANT. Don't waste time learning lots of words that you are not going to be using. Business English is not relevant if you are learning English for a holiday to London. Researching and learning common British food words is relevant.

Make it TIME-BOUND. Chunk your learning into manageable sections with clear deadlines. Set a specific date for goals to be achieved, and hold yourself accountable if they are not achieved. This could be in the form of a self-assessed exam, or if you struggle with accountability, a great option is to set up a meeting with someone who will be able to assess your progress and give you honest feedback (click here for more information). Target deadlines should be in the near future, between 2 weeks and 3 months works well.